Even off coast, Sandy soaks ENC

Even though the storm passed far off the North Carolina coast, Hurricane Sandy had drenching effects on the eastern part of the state over the weekend.

Now, Sandy is set to make landfall in the Atlantic Northeast. From Washington to Boston, big cities and small towns Sunday buttoned up against the onslaught of a superstorm that could endanger 50 million people in the most heavily populated corridor in the nation, with forecasters warning that New York could get slammed by a wall of water.

In North Carolina, the storm soaked the eastern portion of the state through consistent rain and a storm surge that pushed ocean and river water onto land.

Long portions of the barrier island beach road between Nags Head and Duck were covered in rain, sea water and sand. Several homes and businesses on Ocracoke Island, accessible only by boat, were threatened by a flood of more than 18 inches of water rising out of the sea, Hyde County officials said.

About five inches of rain fell at Hatteras Village during a 24-hour period ending at 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service reported. On the oceanfront, the state Department of Transportation reported sustained winds of 50 mph. The greatest impacts from the ocean were expected with high tide Monday morning.

Further inland in Craven County, storm surge put New Bern's Union Point Park completely under water. Areas of Brices Creek were also threatened by rising water.

Streets and docks in the Pamlico County town of Oriental were covered in several inches of water. Dawson's Creek levels went up and water covered several docks and small piers along the banks.

Sandy wasn't without its wind effects. In Carteret County, a viewer sent in a report of sailboats that washed up on Carrot Island off of Beaufort. Another report came in of a fully-submerged boat at Bogue Sound near Pine Knoll Shores. Another viewer submitted a photo of a light post snapped in half at Blair Farms in Morehead City.

Scroll through our live blog as we tracked Sandy off the NC coast throughout the weekend.

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8:56 p.m. Sunday: Take at look at the most recent forecast track for Hurricane Sandy. The storm is expected to take a turn west and take a direct path at southern New Jersey.

6:42 p.m. Sunday: This photo sent to us by Stephanie McInnis shows what is supposed to be Highway 12 heading to Cedar Island.

6:15 p.m. Sunday: Looking ahead to this evening and into tonight, Sandy will continue to move off the coast pulling rain into the northern counties. Wind will continue to blow across the region, beginning to shift northwesterly. This wind will begin to pull waters out of the eastern side of Pamlico Sound and towards the outer banks and down east Carteret County. Low of 40.

4:45 p.m. Sunday: William Smith sent us this photo he said was taken from Atlantic Harbor.

4:10 p.m. Sunday: Take a look at the storm surge graphic, as it shows the effects of Hurricane Sandy felt on a massive portion of the East Coast.

3:56 p.m. Sunday: The effects of Hurricane Sandy are being felt far to our north. The subway in the city that never sleeps will shut down Sunday night as officials brace for the impact of the storm. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority will suspend subway service at 7 p.m. Sunday. READ MORE

3:42 p.m. Sunday: Tim Tucker sent us this photo, writing that this is one of two sailboats that washed up on Carrot Island off of Beaufort.

3:31 p.m. Sunday: Convenience stores, breakfast restaurants and gas stations on North Carolina's Outer Banks opened for business as usual Sunday as Hurricane Sandy chugged off the coast with high winds and tides that threatened the barrier islands for days.

Sandy was a Category 1 storm packing 75 mph winds about 250 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, and moving northeast at 14 mph as of 11 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.